The Diagnosis
by psalm57
Summary: We all saw what happened to Jamie after she was told she could not beat the disease. This fic is about how she was diagnosed, and what happened. Its the precursor to the movie.
1. Chapter 1

The Diagnosis  
  
"Five, six, seven, eight."  
  
The music started and Jamie began to perform the well rehearsed routine. A new contemporary dance class had just started at her father's church. She volunteered to take the class to help it get started. Jamie always helped out where she could.  
  
Jamie was a smart girl. She always caught onto the dances quickly. Her dance instructor had asked her to take one of her advanced classes.  
  
"Jamie, are you ok?" Claire the dance instructor inquired. "You don't look so good."  
  
"I'm ok," Jamie openly lied. Her face was paler than usual and her step was slightly off. She continued on with her routine.  
  
"Are you sure? You look tired."  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
The song was coming to an end when Jamie stopped abruptly. She began to pant and suddenly collapsed. Claire ran to her side. "Jamie! Jamie!" Claire checked Jamie's pulse. Her heart was beating uncontrollably. Claire placed her hand on Jamie's forehead. Her hair clung to her sweaty face.  
  
"Jamie, you're burning up," Claire motioned to a young girl next to her. "April, go get her father. He should be in his office."  
  
The girl hurried out of the room. She returned soon after with Reverend Sullivan right behind her.  
  
He took one look at his daughter and all color drained from his face. His voice had suddenly gone hoarse, "Jamie! Baby, what happened?"  
  
Claire answered the question for her, "She just collapsed. I thought there was something wrong, but she insisted that she was fine."  
  
"I'm going to get my truck and pull it in front of the building. I'll drive her to the hospital myself," Reverend Sullivan explained.  
  
"Dad, no! I'll just go home and sleep it off."  
  
"Honey, no. We're going to find out what's going on."  
  
He exited the room. Claire and the other dance students remained in the room and comforted Jamie. Her father returned and lifted his daughter from the ground. As he did, her leg came into view. Gasps came from around the room.  
  
"Jamie," her father began in a worried tone, "Where'd you get that bruise from? It wasn't there this morning." His concern seemed to have greatly increased after seeing his daughter's leg.  
  
Jamie peered down at her limb. "I don't know." Her voice became tense.  
  
"There's another one on her arm," Melanie, another student, pointed out.  
  
"Let's get her to the hospital," her father replied.  
  
She was lifted into her father's truck and they began their long pursuit to the hospital. Their small home town had no hospital so they had to drive into town.  
They finally arrived and Jamie's father carried her into the ER. They were attended to quickly by an older doctor. He was an old family friend. He entered Jamie's room and shook hands with Reverend Sullivan.  
"Hello Jamie, I'm Dr. Bolino. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Mmmm, I'm just, just really tired."  
"Can you open your mouth for me, Sweetie?" He examined her gums. "And you have bruises, correct. Can I look at them?" He lifted the blanket and looked at the large bruise on her leg. "I want to run a few tests, ok Honey?"  
  
"Ok."  
  
Jamie remained in the hospital overnight. Several tests were run. The following afternoon Dr. Bolino entered Jamie's room. "Feeling any better, Jamie?"  
  
"A little." "Good, can I speak to your dad in private?" "Sure."  
  
Reverend Sullivan and Dr. Bolino stepped into the hall. "Blast from the past," the doctor said. "When I saw that bruise on her leg it all came back to me. It's exactly the same. She has it too." Dr. Bolino nodded. "I've already lost one of my girls to Leukemia. I don't think I can do it again.  
  
"These days the success rate is higher than ever. Jamie has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, which has an amazing success rate with Chemotherapy. We can beat this."  
  
Reverend Sullivan leaned against the wall and covered his face.  
  
"Do you want me to tell her?" Dr. Bolino asked.  
  
"No, that's my job."  
  
"Ok, good luck."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Dr. Bolino walked away. Reverend Sullivan remained outside the room. He wiped the tears from his eyes and attempted to regain his composure. He closed his eyes, "Lord, please give me strength." He then entered the room to deliver the devastating news. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

            Reverend Sullivan stood beside Jamie's hospital bed. She had fallen asleep. He peered down at his beautiful daughter. She looked so small and innocent as she lay there. She _was_ so small and innocent. Why did she have the disease?

            "Lord, why? Why are you doing this to me again?" Reverend Sullivan looked through the hospital window to the sky. He loved her so much. He could not lose another one of his girls. He had loved his wife so much. He never thought he could love anyone

as much as his wife, but then Jamie came into his life. The first time he looked into her eyes, he fell madly in love for the second time. She was an angel.

            Tears began to fall down his pale cheeks. He tried to control them but it was no use. They continued to stream down his face. He quit trying and allowed them to fall. When his wife had passed, his heart had broken. He thought he could never love again. He couldn't even love Jamie for awhile. There was too much pain. However, the love for Jamie returned. It was impossible to not love her, but the pain never left. There was always an empty feeling in his chest. Something was missing without her.

            But Jamie had made his life rich. His whole life revolved around her. He loved his daughter more than words could express. She had taken the place of her mom and filled it well. Jamie was the only woman in Reverend Sullivan's life.

            Reverend Sullivan got down on his knees and leaned over Jamie's bed. Tears continued to pour down his face. He looked at his daughter. As she lay under the sheets, she looked like an angel.

            "Dad?" Jamie had opened her eyes and seen her father beside her bed. "Baby, I...um...the doctor told me the test results..."

            "I know. I have Leukemia."

            "How did you know?"

            Jamie closed her eyes, "I remember all of this. When I saw the bruise it all made sense. Mom was the same."

            "I'm so sorry, Honey."

            "Dad, its ok. I can beat this. I have Jesus with me. Everything is going to work out." Reverend Sullivan put his arms around his daughter and held her in his arms. Tears began to fall from Jamie's eyes. Reverend Sullivan cried with her. How was she so confident? She really was an angel.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

            Jamie and her father pulled up in front of Bofard Pediatric Hospital. Dr. Bolino had hooked them up with a friend who was a pediatric oncologist and he had decided that Jamie would first go through chemotherapy. Jamie had been apprehensive about the appointment. It had been scheduled a week prior and she had been nervous the entire week. She had heard such horrible stories about what chemo did to patients. She knew the many scary side effects of the treatment. She knew she would lose her hair. She just wanted to go back to high school. It was her freshman year and she had barely begun to truly experience high school life. She wanted a normal life. She didn't have time for this road block.

            But she kept reminding herself that Christ was with her. She was going to make it. She could make it through anything with Christ. Sure it was a road block but just a temporary one. While she sat in the pickup truck she continued to remind herself of this. It would be over before she realized. Life flies by and this will too. Regardless, a nervous feeling remained in the pit of her stomach.

            "Honey, are you ready to go in?"

            "Um, um, yeah, yes. Yes I am."

            "It's ok to be afraid, Honey."

            "But I have Christ. I'm…" She broke off into tears and fell into her fathers arms.

            "That's the awesome part about Christ. We don't have to be strong because he's strong for us." He wrapped his arms around his daughter. They remained in their embrace for several minutes. Jamie then slowly rose from her father's arms.

            "Ok, I'm ready, Daddy."

            The two stepped out of the car and made their way into the hospital. They had been instructed to go to the third floor, where the oncology ward was located. As they made their way through the hospital, Jamie hung onto her father. Many unwanted ghosts still lingered in the hospital for Jamie. There were too many memories within the white sterile walls. As she glanced at her father, she knew the same memories were flashing before his own eyes. He would have given anything to turn and run to the nearest exit. But he had to be strong for Jamie. He had to be there for her.

            They entered the elevator and punched in the appropriate numbers. The quick ride up the shaft seemed to be an eternity. They longed to be there and begin the dreaded task, but at the same time hoped it would never arrive. They were torn from pushing forward or rushing back. The two doors slid open and the two vacated the elevator. They made their way down a long lonely white hallway.

            Jamie stared at herself in the shiny tile floor. She didn't look sick. How could she be sick. How could she have cancer? It didn't make any sense. She had always been so healthy. She was rarely ever home sick with the flu. She only had a cold once or twice a year. But she knew the truth. The bruise on her leg. The sweating. Her collapse. Her swollen gums. It all went together. But why her? One out of every 29,000 children are diagnosed yearly with the disease. Why was it her. Jesus had a plan. Of course he did. She knew that. But she kept questioning it. What was the reason for this. Could he really have a plan for such a horrible disease? Of course he could, but what?

            They approached a counter. "Um, yes. I'm Reverend Sullivan. This is my daughter Jamie. She has an appointment today."

            "Yes, Miss Sullivan. We have been expecting you. Why don't you come this way and we'll get started. My name is Susan and I will be one of your nurses."

            Jamie and her father followed the woman down the hall. The entered a small room. "Why don't you sit down Jamie and we'll get started. First let's just get your vitals." The woman first took Jamie's blood pressure. She then proceeded to take Jamie's pulse, temperature, heart rate, height, and weight. "Ok, let's get you hooked up." Jamie peered at her father nervously. Seeing her gaze the nurse reassured her, "Its ok, we have to hook you up to an IV so you can receive the medicine needed to fight this disease. May I please have your arm? Today we will give you an IV in your hand but you will be getting a central line soon."

            "What's a central line?" Jamie asked curiously.

            "It's a line we put under the skin so that when you come to receive your meds we don't have to locate a vain. "

            "Where do they go?"

            "You can have them under your collar bone or lower on your stomach or in your arm. And some of them are under your skin while others stick out."

            "Ok," Jamie agreed nervously. The woman had cleaned Jamie's arm with alcohol and had located a vein. "Ok, this won't hurt very much," She put the needle into Jamie's vein. She then proceeded to tape it down with hospital tape and then began to hook it up to an IV pole. When she was finished she rose to her feet. "Ok let's find you a bed so you can lie down and relax. Jamie rose to her feet uncomfortable with the foreign object attached to her hand. "It's ok, I'll hold on to the pole for you." They exited the small room. Jamie walked slowly as the woman wheeled the strange object beside her. They made their way down the hall, passing several rooms with what it looked to be several other children in the same condition. "Right in here," The woman walked into a room with two beds. One was occupied by a girl who looked to be sixteen or so. "This is Melanie."

            "Hi, I'm Melanie, what's your name?" The girl had extended her hand. Jamie shook the girl's hand cautiously. The girl looked very pale and was completely bald. However, a bright smile still lingered on her face. "I'm Jamie."

            "Nice to meet you Jamie."

            "This'll be your bed. The bathroom is right outside your door and myself and another nurse named Candace will be in to check on you from time to time. We will refill the bags on your IV pole. Feel free to watch the TV and there are vending machines just down the hall. Lunch will be brought around 12:30. Ok, I'll see you a  little bit."

            Jamie had sat down on the bed she had been assigned and her father pulled up a spare chair from against the wall.

            "Do you need anything, Baby?"

            "I just want to go home." The young girl fell into her father's arms and began to cry.


	4. Chapter 4

**If you have any questions or want to correct any of my medical knowledge, please do so in a review. Most of the medical terms are things I know from personal experience. And if anyone knows for sure the correct way to spell portacath, please let me know.**

**Chapter 4**

            Jamie had gotten her central line put in. She had what they called a port-a-cath under her skin. It felt like a little bubble below her collar bone. She had had it put in the day before. It was only an out-patient surgery, but her father made her stay in bed and rest. She had been through three rounds of chemotherapy and she was feeling its toll. She lay in bed thinking about the months to come. The doctor had told her she would be on the treatment for anywhere from six months to a year. She couldn't do it for six months. She couldn't imagine doing it for one month. They were unsure if she would be going through radiation or not. She tried to convince herself that the chemotherapy would be enough. She did not want to go through radiation. She had heard too many things about radiation. Stories circulated around the oncology ward. The chemo was enough for Jamie. The first round hadn't been too bad. Her body was still strong and it fought the poison. But the second and third time hadn't been the same. The cancer was gaining power, and she could no longer fight the foreign drugs running through her veins. She had come home nauseated and not in the best of moods.

            The following Monday, Jamie had to go in for another round. She was anything but thrilled about the appointment. She tried hard to keep her trust in Christ, but the cancer was breaking her spirits.

            Her father had to leave her by herself at the hospital this week. He had church obligations to attend to. He had tried to find a way out of them, but Jamie insisted he fulfill his pastoral duties. She would not let him neglect the church on her account.

As she sat in her hospital bed, she thought about the events that had occurred within the last month of her life. She thought about high school. She had planned to go out for the spring musical. The choir instructor had asked her to sing the National Anthem at a football game. But now all of that was shattered. She was confined to a small white room, surrounded by disease and pain. She wanted out; she needed out.

            Jamie unconsciously ran her fingers through her hair. Whenever she was nervous or upset she had the tendency to play with her brunette locks. As her fingers found the tips of her long strands, a clump of hair remained in her hand. She looked down at the bundle of hair in her hand. Tears began to pour down her white cheeks.

            "It's not that bad. You get used to it." Jamie jumped in her bed. She looked around. She spotted Melanie sitting up in her hospital bed. She had almost forgotten she had had a roommate. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just saw you crying and…"  The girl paused and looked at Jamie, "it's just I remember when I first began to lose my hair. It really sucked and I know how you feel."

            "Thanks," Jamie responded as she tried to wipe away the tears. "Do you mind if I ask what you are in for?"

            "No prob, in laymen's terms, a brain tumor. They discovered it when I started having mobility problems a little over a year ago."

            "Mobility problems?"  Jamie had a confused look on her face. Melanie pointed to a wheelchair sitting in the corner. Jamie had not noticed it before. "Oh, I'm sorry."

            "Thanks, but it's ok. I'm used to it and at least I don't have any other problems."

            "Have you been going through this for a year?" Jamie inquired with a tone of horror.

            "Well, first major surgery and then treatment."

            "Are you almost done?"

            "Not quite, but it's ok. I'm alive aren't I?"

            "Wow! You're amazing. And I thought I had it bad."

            "What do you have?" the girl questioned.

            "Leukemia"

            "Yuck, that sucks"

            "Yeah, I'd say so," Jamie laughed. It was the first time she had laughed in several weeks.

            "Hey," Melanie said, "that's what I want to hear. So how old are you?"

            "Fourteen. I'm a freshman in high school."

            "Awesome, I'm sixteen. I'm a junior."

            "Cool," Jamie said with complete respect. She wanted to know what high school was really like. She only had a little over a month's worth of experience and probably wouldn't experience much more for quite some time. "What's it like? High School, I mean?"

            "Gosh, I missed pretty much all of my sophomore year so all the experience I have is from my own freshman year."

            "Well, that's more than I have," Jamie giggled. The two girls continued to talk until lunch was brought in. Jamie had found someone she could now confide in. Maybe the next several months would be somewhat bearable.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for sticking with me. Remember, if you review I promise I'll try to review something for you. Anyway, this is a short chapter, but I needed to get a few things out there. Hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 5**

            Jamie had been going through chemotherapy for four months. It had been a long several months for Jamie and her father. They tried hard to enjoy the Christmas season, but the usual merriness was vacant from their home. Jamie was too weak to decorate their home in her general holiday decorum. She was too nauseated to bake her festive holiday cookies. The season came and went. The treasured time had been lost during the hectic roadblock.

            Life at the Sullivan house had changed. Jamie tried to hold onto her magical glow, but the chemo was taking over her frail body. Melanie had been a great aid to her. She had encouraged her through difficult times.

            But Jamie's recent doctor's appointment had not been promising. Jamie was going to have to go through radiation. The chemotherapy was not doing the job. This came as unwanted news, but Jamie was determined to beat it. She was going to do whatever she had to.

            Jamie began the radiation a week later. The effects were worse than those of the chemotherapy, and she was bed ridden for over a month. Her energy was nonexistent. She longed to sing in her church choir again, but her father refused to let her leave her bed. She was too weak. She could no longer fight off infections. She had to be shielded from all possible germ sources. When she went to the hospital, she had to wear a mask. Jamie hated being secluded from the outside world. Jamie was a social person. She needed her friends. She needed to help out at church. She wanted to go back to dance. She missed helping out with charity organizations. She didn't like people doing the same for her.

            She went for a round of radiation every week. The remainder of the time she was at home in bed. That was if she wasn't in the hospital in the ICU.

            Jamie tried desperately to keep up with her schoolwork. Her father found a tutor to work with her and a friend came from school every so often to help Jamie make a dent in her always growing pile of homework. Jamie was always a good student and became very depressed with her school situation. She would not allow herself to fall behind. She had to keep on top of things. She had to keep her perfect honors record. Reverend Sullivan tried to convince his daughter to lighten her load. She could pile it on later when she was better. But, Jamie refused. She would not let it slip.

            Then, on Jamie's next appointment, she received an even worse blow. The radiation wasn't doing enough. It had made a slight improvement but not enough. She was going to need a bone marrow transplant. However, finding a perfect match was difficult. Who would be a perfect match? Would they be able to find someone? And if so, would it work?


	6. Chapter 6

**            I'm sorry if I didn't make this clear in the summery or whatever, but this is not a Landon/Jamie fic. The point of this fic was to explain when Jamie was diagnosed (the title explains this) and the treatment she went through before the doctors told her they could do no more. Once again, I'm sorry for not making that clear.**

**            To answer laela j. williams' question, I always use the names of close friends of mine in all my stories. I never use a name that is not the name of a close friend or family member. Melanie is the name of one of my best friends, but the others are other friends as well.**

**            Thank you FaithInGod21 for letting me know that it is spelled port-a-cath. I should know that but I don't I'll definitely take your offer up. If I ever have medical questions I would love your help.**

**            I'll shut up now and let you read the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews.**

**Chapter 6**

            Jamie stood in her bedroom pushing a few last items in her sleep-away bag. She would have to remain at the hospital for a few weeks after the bone marrow transplant. The harsh chemo she would receive prior to the transplant would deplete her body of all its energy. She would also need to be observed on a daily basis to see if the transplant would be successful. Blood tests would be a daily activity. She would be cut off from the outside world for numerous days. Few people would be allowed to visit her in her secluded prison and her father would be required to wear protective clothing when visiting his daughter. Tears poured from Jamie's eyes. When was all of this going to be over? She had been going through treatment for several months and she wasn't sure if she could endure much more.

            Jamie completed her packing and made her way out of her bedroom. Even a simple task such as walking down the flight of stairs was beginning to be a laborious job for the weak girl. She came to the bottom and paused to catch her breath.

            "Honey, are you ready to go?"

This question was so familiar to Jamie. Was she ready to go to the hospital? Was she ready to go for another round of chemo? Was she ready to go for a round of radiation? Was she ready to go for another blood transfusion? Jamie responded in an automatic voice with little emotion, "Yes, Daddy."

            The two found their spots in the beaten up pickup truck and began the long journey to the hospital. The transplant had been planned several weeks prior to the planned date. A donor was needed. Jamie's father had been tested immediately, but was not a prominent match. Jamie had no other living relatives in Beaufort and so she was put on a list through the hospital for a possible chance. A perfect match was never found, but a woman from a near by city was close to it. The doctor decided it was a good bet and they decided to go through with the procedure.

            Jamie blinked as her father parked in front of the too familiar hospital. Jamie remained in her car seat for a moment. Her father remained in his as well. They both thought about the coming weeks. Was Jamie going to be strong enough? Tears began to sting the back of her eyes but she tried to hold them back. Her father looked into her eyes. "Baby, go ahead and cry." He wrapped his arms around his daughter and tears poured from each pair of eyes.

            "Daddy, why is Jesus letting this happen?"

            "I don't know, Baby, I don't know. But we have to trust that he has a plan. He never makes mistakes."

            "Ok," Jamie pulled away from her father's embrace. "Then I'm going to trust him." She wiped the tears from her cheek with the back of her hand and opened her door. She slowly lifted the small bag out and closed the pickup door. Her father approached her from the rear of the vehicle with her wheelchair. A couple of months earlier he had pulled an old wheelchair out of the attic for Jamie. She was no longer able to walk very far on her own. She was too weak and in a great deal of pain. He had purchased the chair several years earlier for his wife and was shaken by the sight of it in his house again. Jamie was seated and they began their way through the large hospital parking lot and into the hospital. Jamie flashed back to her first visit to the hospital. She felt the same anxiety and frustration. Only this time she was thirty pounds lighter, completely bald, and even more ill than she had been. The entered the elevator and dialed the appropriate numbers. Reverend Sullivan punched the numbers without thought. This weekly activity was now an automatic routine for the old man. They exited the small shaft and made their way down the long, white, sterile halls. Reverend Sullivan signed Jamie in at the main desk and waited for further directions. They were soon after escorted into a unfamiliar room by an unfamiliar nurse. Jamie was disappointed by the unknown face. She had hoped Susan would be her nurse through this long process.

            "Jamie will remain in this private room throughout the procedure. She must be isolated from others because she will be very likely to pick up any infections because her immune system is going to be very weak. The strong chemo she will be put on prior to the transplant will deplete her blood count. I don't say these things to scare you, but you must be aware of the risks. Do you have any questions?" The two shook their heads. "Ok, then let's get started. Jamie why don't you lie down and I can get you hooked up." Jamie laid on the hospital bed and began the familiar process she went through every week. She was quickly hooked up to her IV pole and the first round of the strong chemo was started.

            The first few days dragged on. Jamie was given several rounds of very strong chemo. Her entire circulatory system had to be wiped out in order for the new cells to take their place and grow into healthy new blood cells. Jamie tried to sleep through this portion of the transplant process. She was extremely tired and in more pain than she had imagined. Her limbs ached. She tried various positions but each failed to cease the agonizing pain. She remained nauseous but this was nothing new to her. Food had lost all appeal to the girl in the last few months and nausea was now a never-leaving pain. She almost began to feel used to the feeling, where if it suddenly left, something would feel out of place. Her head whirled in an on-going migraine and whenever she sat up in bed the entire world spun around her.

            After three tough days of treatment, the transplant began. The new bone marrow was given to her intravenously. She tried to sleep but couldn't get her mind off of what might happen.  She wondered if it would work. The donor was not a perfect match. She had also been told that sometimes patients bodies would reject the foreign cells. Would her body accept these new cells?

            The transplant was completed but Jamie was to remain in the hospital for a couple more weeks. She was to be observed. The familiar nurses came in each day to test her blood to see how her body was reacting. Jamie felt secluded and alone. Her father came each day but he could not stay with her. The hospital would not allow it. He could carry possible germs and he had to care to the church. A couple of Jamie's closest friends came to see her but it was awkward for the young children. They were not sure of what was expected of them and they were forced to wear protective ware. When they stopped coming Jamie understood why but this did not change the fact that she was lonely. She missed high school. She hated being the sick girl. She hated being the girl that all her peers pitied. She hated being helpless. Even a simple trip to the bathroom was now a big deal for Jamie. She required assistance in everything.

            Each day dragged on for her. She slept most of the time. Even watching TV had lost its appeal. She just laid in her hospital bed and stared at the white ceiling. Her only visitors were the nurses in their white uniforms rushing in and out of her room, checking her vitals and testing her blood.

            "Hey, Jamie," The third week of her stay was just beginning and she had become too familiar to the sound of the door quietly opening. She had assumed the person who had opened it was one of the usual nurses and had ignored the recent entrance. But the voice was a familiar voice. It was Susan. Susan had helped her throughout her several months of treatment and had become a close friend. Jamie had missed her in the last few weeks. "How are you feeling, kid?"

            "Mmmhmm, I've felt better. Think there's any chance you could bust me out of here?"

            "You know I would do almost anything for you girl, but I don't think that's an option right now."

            "Just thought I'd try. I'm so bored. I miss the real world."

            "I know, Sweetie. You'll be out soon, before you know it."

            "So, how are things on your side of the oncology ward?"

            "Good, but we all miss you."

            "How's Melanie? Do you think you could maybe bring her over to see me?" Jamie's face had lit up as she had thought of the idea. Melanie always made her smile. She would be the perfect thing to bring her out of her spell of loneliness and boredom.

            A concerned look had come over Susan's face. "Um," She looked hesitant as she searched frantically for the right thing to say. "Um, Jamie that's not possible. Um, Jamie, Sweetie, um, Melanie passed away last week."

            The two were silent. Tears had begun to pour down Jamie's face. Jamie looked for the right response but was at a loss. She couldn't say anything. The tears continued to flow down her pale cheeks.

            "I'm so sorry I had to break it to you like this and her and…" her voice trailed off. "I'll leave you alone. I'll come and visit you tomorrow."

            The next week was a complete fog. Jamie was lost in a haze. The pain had become especially strong and the thought of Melanie would not leave her mind. She had a few visitors, but she didn't seem to care any longer. She was falling deep into depression. She just wanted out. She was in too much agony. She had lost one of the best friends she had ever had. Melanie had helped her through some of the most difficult times. She needed Melanie now to help her through, but she was gone. She had fought so hard against the cancer, but had lost the battle. Why had she lost the battle? She was a strong, young girl.

            The news Jamie received the following morning would push her farther in her downward spiral. Her father had come early because they were told that the doctor wanted to talk to the two. Reverend Sullivan sat at his daughter's bedside trying to comfort her. He had become aware of her recent depression. He held her hand as Jamie's doctor entered the room. He quietly shut the door behind him and pulled a vacant chair from the opposite side of the room.

            "Well, Jamie I've been looking over your blood test from the last two weeks. I wish I had good news for you but I don't. Your body is rejecting the new cells. You had said you've become weaker and in much greater pain in the last week. Well, that's because your body is fighting against the new marrow."

            "Is there anything we can do?" Reverend Sullivan inquired.

            "Well, I'd like to say we could just attempt another transplant or go through a few more rounds of treatment but from the results we have the likelihood of this working is almost nonexistent. And the last test results show that the cancer has further spread. I'm afraid there is nothing more that we can do."


	7. Chapter 7

Well, this is it. I'm finishing this fic. I know this chapter is shorter than usual but I think it was an appropriate way to end it. You all know what happens next. I figured this was the perfect place to end, and I liked the archetypal number of seven chapters which signifies completion. Thank you all so much for all the reviews.

**Chapter 7**

            Jamie's father had taken her home the following day. There was no longer a reason to keep her trapped within the sterile white walls of her prison. The next few weeks slowly passed. Jamie remained at home locked in her bedroom. She had little contact with the outside world and had given up all hope. She refused to take any phone calls from friends and said very little to her concerned father. Reverend Sullivan made several attempts to bring her out of her dungeon but she refused. The depression she had acquired in her last week at the hospital was now stronger than ever. She felt as if she no longer had a reason to live. She was going to die anyway. What was the point of going on?

            "Honey, please come downstairs and eat dinner with me," Reverend Sullivan spoke through the door. "I made your favorite." He had tried this numerous times in the past week. He was worried that she would starve herself.

            "I'm not hungry!" she yelled.

            "Jamie, you have to eat."

            "Why, I'm going to die. What's the point?"

            "Jamie you heard what the doctor said. You could live for another year. Why don't you enjoy what you have left?"

            "No, I'm just going to die like Melanie!"

            "Don't you think Melanie would want you to go on? She lived a full life. Even in the end."

            Jamie became silent. Reverend Sullivan could hear her crying from the hall. She had taken Melanie's death hard. He wished he could do something to comfort her. "Jamie?" Jamie walked over to her door, unlocked it, and opened the door. She fell into her father's arms and began to cry even harder. He embraced his daughter and would not let go. The two found comfort in each other's arms. They each needed the hug more than anything else in the world. "You know who else wouldn't want you to give up?"

            "Who?"

            "Your mother. She lived a full life. She never let the cancer ruin her life. She would want you to do the same."

            Jamie was silent for several minutes. She remained in her father's arms. She seemed to be processing the words her father had spoken. "Then that's exactly what I'm going to do." Her voice broke the silence.

            "I'm so proud of you. I know God has a plan for you. You will bless many lives. I know this for a fact." He gave his daughter one last squeeze and released her from his embrace.

            A smile had grown on Jamie's face. She and her father made their way downstairs to begin the rest of Jamie's life.

The End


End file.
